Freedom's Plow Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGH IJDDDD AKKLMNNOIIODH PQMMRST UVWFXXBYBYBYZY A2BBBB2TBTKTC2TBBBKK C2TWT C2D2D2D2D2D2D2D2D2E2 D2WD2F2TGPD2PT B2G2WD2QD2H2SI2J2PB2 K2L2M2SSAN2B2QD2O2YS S P2Q2R2S2T2YT2QYU2V2V 2YV2G2UD2W2QXX2N2X2J XN2 ID2SY2WZ2D2J2J2D2WGX JX TN2N2V2XWN2WA3ATG2K2 L2XQD2D2TQTXPXB3PYXQ D2P PYU2V2PQXPQXPXV2

When a man starts out with nothingA
When a man starts out with his handsB
Empty but cleanC
When a man starts to build a worldD
He starts first with himselfE
And the faith that is in his heartF
The strength thereG
The will there to buildH
-
First in the heart is the dreamI
Then the mind starts seeking a wayJ
His eyes look out on the worldD
On the great wooded worldD
On the rich soil of the worldD
On the rivers of the worldD
-
The eyes see there materials for buildingA
See the difficulties too and the obstaclesK
The mind seeks a way to overcome these obstaclesK
The hand seeks tools to cut the woodL
To till the soil and harness the power of the watersM
Then the hand seeks other hands to helpN
A community of hands to helpN
Thus the dream becomes not one man s dream aloneO
But a community dreamI
Not my dream alone but our dreamI
Not my world aloneO
But your world and my worldD
Belonging to all the hands who buildH
-
A long time ago but not too long agoP
Ships came from across the seaQ
Bringing the Pilgrims and prayer makersM
Adventurers and booty seekersM
Free men and indentured servantsR
Slave men and slave masters all newS
To a new world AmericaT
-
With billowing sails the galleons cameU
Bringing men and dreams women and dreamsV
In little bands togetherW
Heart reaching out to heartF
Hand reaching out to handX
They began to build our landX
Some were free handsB
Seeking a greater freedomY
Some were indentured handsB
Hoping to find their freedomY
Some were slave handsB
Guarding in their hearts the seed of freedomY
But the word was there alwaysZ
FreedomY
-
Down into the earth went the plowA2
In the free hands and the slave handsB
In indentured hands and adventurous handsB
Turning the rich soil went the plow in many handsB
That planted and harvested the food that fedB2
And the cotton that clothed AmericaT
Clang against the trees went the ax into many handsB
That hewed and shaped the rooftops of AmericaT
Splash into the rivers and the seas went the boat hullsK
That moved and transported AmericaT
Crack went the whips that drove the horsesC2
Across the plains of AmericaT
Free hands and slave handsB
Indentured hands adventurous handsB
White hands and black handsB
Held the plow handlesK
Ax handles hammer handlesK
Launched the boats and whipped the horsesC2
That fed and housed and moved AmericaT
Thus together through laborW
All these hands made AmericaT
-
Labor Out of labor came villagesC2
And the towns that grew citiesD2
Labor Out of labor came the rowboatsD2
And the sailboats and the steamboatsD2
Came the wagons and the coachesD2
Covered wagons stage coachesD2
Out of labor came the factoriesD2
Came the foundries came the railroadsD2
Came the marts and markets shops and storesD2
Came the mighty products moulded manufacturedE2
Sold in shops piled in warehousesD2
Shipped the wide world overW
Out of labor white hands and black handsD2
Came the dream the strength the willF2
And the way to build AmericaT
Now it is Me here and You thereG
Now it s Manhattan ChicagoP
Seattle New OrleansD2
Boston and El PasoP
Now it s the U S AT
-
A long time ago but not too long ago a man saidB2
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUALG2
ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATORW
WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTSD2
AMONG THESE LIFE LIBERTYQ
AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESSD2
His name was Jefferson There were slaves thenH2
But in their hearts the slaves believed him tooS
And silently too for grantedI2
That what he said was also meant for themJ2
It was a long time agoP
But not so long ago at that Lincoln saidB2
NO MAN IS GOOD ENOUGHK2
TO GOVERN ANOTHER MANL2
WITHOUT THAT OTHER S CONSENTM2
There were slaves then tooS
But in their hearts the slaves knewS
What he said must be meant for every human beingA
Else it had no meaning for anyoneN2
Then a man saidB2
BETTER TO DIE FREEQ
THAN TO LIVE SLAVESD2
He was a colored man who had been a slaveO2
But had run away to freedomY
And the slaves knewS
What Frederick Douglass said was trueS
-
With John Brown at Harper s Ferry Negroes diedP2
John Brown was hungQ2
Before the Civil War days were darkR2
And nobody knew for sureS2
When freedom would triumphT2
quot Or if it would quot thought someY
But others new it had to triumphT2
In those dark days of slaveryQ
Guarding in their hearts the seed of freedomY
The slaves made up a songU2
Keep Your Hand On The Plow Hold OnV2
That song meant just what it said Hold OnV2
Freedom will comeY
Keep Your Hand On The Plow Hold OnV2
Out of war it came bloody and terribleG2
But it cameU
Some there were as alwaysD2
Who doubted that the war would end rightW2
That the slaves would be freeQ
Or that the union would standX
But now we know how it all came outX2
Out of the darkest days for people and a nationN2
We know now how it came outX2
There was light when the battle clouds rolled awayJ
There was a great wooded landX
And men united as a nationN2
-
America is a dreamI
The poet says it was promisesD2
The people say it is promises that will come trueS
The people do not always say things out loudY2
Nor write them down on paperW
The people often holdZ2
Great thoughts in their deepest heartsD2
And sometimes only blunderingly express themJ2
Haltingly and stumblingly say themJ2
And faultily put them into practiceD2
The people do not always understand each otherW
But there is somewhere thereG
Always the trying to understandX
And the trying to sayJ
quot You are a man Together we are building our land quotX
-
AmericaT
Land created in commonN2
Dream nourished in commonN2
Keep your hand on the plow Hold onV2
If the house is not yet finishedX
Don t be discouraged builderW
If the fight is not yet wonN2
Don t be weary soldierW
The plan and the pattern is hereA3
Woven from the beginningA
Into the warp and woof of AmericaT
ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUALG2
NO MAN IS GOOD ENOUGHK2
TO GOVERN ANOTHER MANL2
WITHOUT HIS CONSENTX
BETTER DIE FREEQ
THAN TO LIVE SLAVESD2
Who said those things AmericansD2
Who owns those words AmericaT
Who is America You meQ
We are AmericaT
To the enemy who would conquer us from withoutX
We say NOP
To the enemy who would divideX
And conquer us from withinB3
We say NOP
FREEDOMY
BROTHERHOODX
DEMOCRACYQ
To all the enemies of these great wordsD2
We say NOP
-
A long time agoP
An enslaved people heading toward freedomY
Made up a songU2
Keep Your Hand On The Plow Hold OnV2
The plow plowed a new furrowP
Across the field of historyQ
Into that furrow the freedom seed was droppedX
From that seed a tree grew is growing will ever growP
That tree is for everybodyQ
For all America for all the worldX
May its branches spread and shelter growP
Until all races and all peoples know its shadeX
KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE PLOW HOLD ONV2

Langston Hughes



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